You Won’t Believe What New Jersey Just Raised Their Minimum Wage To

New Jersey lawmakers voted in favor of a measure Thursday putting the state on a course to increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie now has to accept or veto the law after a 21-18 state Senate vote in favor of the increase. The measure could make New Jersey the third state to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. New Jersey currently has a minimum wage of $8.38 an hour. Christie has already expressed concern over the policy.

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association determined the policy could force businesses to raise their prices or reduce their workforce to overcome the added cost of labor. On the other side, the New Jersey Policy Perspective found the increase will help 975,000 state residents, including many who are struggling to make ends meet.

Christie and his office did not respond to a request for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.